DEV Community: Michael Mirosnichenko

How to Recover Data from a Damaged or Non-Operational VMware Fusion Virtual Machine on macOS

Michael Mirosnichenko — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 09:37:57 +0000

Read this article to learn how to recover data from a VMware Fusion virtual machine that no longer runs or has become damaged on macOS. You’ll discover what to do if the virtual machine refuses to start but contains important files. We’ll explain how to restore its functionality and extract information from the virtual disk file of the non-working machine.

Losing access to a virtual machine on a Mac can be stressful, especially if it contains critical documents, work projects, or personal data. VMware Fusion — one of the most popular virtualization tools for macOS — sometimes causes issues such as startup errors, corrupted .vmdk disks, freezes during boot, or even complete disappearance of the machine after a system update.

If your virtual machine suddenly stops booting or you accidentally delete it, don’t panic — your data can still be recovered. Even without a backup, there are reliable ways to retrieve information from VMware disks. In this article, we’ll describe recovery methods using both built-in macOS tools and third-party utilities suitable for beginners and experienced users alike.

Why You Might Lose Access to VMware Fusion Data

Let’s look at the most common reasons why you may lose access to files inside a VMware Fusion virtual machine:

Errors during VMware Fusion or macOS updates.
Damage to .vmwarevm or .vmdk files (the latter being the virtual disk).
Sudden or improper system shutdowns.
Lack of free disk space.
File system errors on the Mac’s system drive.

Regardless of the cause, your main task is to locate the .vmdk virtual disk file and extract its data using recovery software.

VMware Fusion Virtual Machine File Types

The .vmx file is the virtual machine configuration file. It stores settings such as the amount of RAM, the number of CPU cores, and the list of connected disks.
The .vmdk file represents the virtual hard disk. It contains all the user data and the guest operating system’s file system.
The .nvram file saves the BIOS or UEFI settings of the virtual machine.
The .vmem file acts as a memory pagefile and stores the current state of the VM’s RAM.
The .vmsd file contains snapshot metadata — information about all snapshots created for this virtual machine.
The .vmsn file stores the system state captured at the moment a snapshot was taken.
The .lck file serves as a lock to prevent simultaneous access to virtual machine files.
The .log file records all events and errors that occur during the virtual machine’s operation.
The .vmxf file is an additional configuration file used when working with other VMware products.
Finally, the .plist file is a macOS Launch Services file that includes metadata created by macOS when the virtual machine starts.

If you didn’t change the default location during setup, VMware Fusion stores its virtual machines in:

/Users/user_name/Virtual Machines/

To recover data, find the .vmwarevm container. You can search for it quickly with Spotlight — press Command + Space and type the name.

How to Locate the .vmwarevm Container

A .vmwarevm file is actually a package (a folder shown as a single file in macOS).
Right-click on it and choose Show Package Contents.

Inside, locate the largest .vmdk file — it’s the virtual hard disk that stores all your documents, applications, and photos.
If several .vmdk files appear with sequential numbers, it means the virtual disk was split into parts.

Data Recovery Methods

Method 1. Recover Data from a .vmdk File Using Hetman Partition Recovery

Once you have located the .vmdk file, you can extract information from it with Hetman Partition Recovery — a professional data recovery tool.

This utility restores data from any device, regardless of the reason for data loss. It works with both healthy and damaged logical volumes and supports virtual disk formats.

Visit hetmanrecovery.com and download the macOS version. Install it like any other app and grant full disk access in macOS settings.

Run the program (administrator password may be required). You’ll see a list of all available drives — to work with the virtual disk, click Mount Disk, then select the .vmdk file and click Open.

The mounted disk will appear in the main window. Right-click on it and choose Open, then select a scan type — Fast Scan or Full Analysis.
Start with Fast Scan; if it doesn’t find your files, run a Full Analysis for deeper search.

After scanning, open the folders containing the needed files, preview them, and select those you want to recover. Click Recovery, specify the save path, and confirm.

Even if the virtual machine doesn’t boot, this method lets you retrieve data directly from its virtual disk.

Method 2. Recover VMware Fusion Data via Time Machine

If you’ve previously enabled Time Machine backups, you can restore your virtual machine or its virtual disk file.

Open the folder where the VM files were stored:

~/Documents/Virtual Machines.localized/

Launch Time Machine, select a date when the VM worked correctly, and restore the required version of the .vmwarevm package.

Your virtual machine should return to its earlier working state, though any changes made after that backup date will be lost.

Method 3. Recover Data Using Snapshots in VMware Fusion

If you created snapshots earlier, they can help you roll back the machine to a working condition.

Open VMware Fusion, select the problematic machine, go to the Snapshots tab, and choose Restore Snapshot for the latest stable version.

Note: This works only if snapshots were enabled beforehand. Any data created after the last snapshot will not be recovered.

Method 4. Restore a Deleted VMware Virtual Disk File

If you deleted the .vmdk file and it’s no longer in Trash, use Hetman Partition Recovery again.

Simply scan the disk where the file was stored — there’s no need to mount anything manually. After scanning, locate the virtual disk file and recover it.

Once restored, place it back in its original directory or attach it to a new virtual machine:
File → New → Create Custom Virtual Machine → Add Existing Disk, then specify the path to the .vmdk file.

Method 5. Mount a VMDK Disk Directly in macOS

Advanced users can convert a .vmdk file into a macOS-supported format, such as a raw .img disk image, using the qemu-img tool.

Install Homebrew, then run:

brew install qemu
qemu-img convert -O raw "Virtual Disk.vmdk" "Virtual Disk.img"
hdiutil attach "Virtual Disk.img"

This mounts the disk image in macOS so you can copy files directly. Writing to NTFS partitions may require additional drivers, but reading works natively.

How to Prevent VMware Fusion Failures and Data Loss

To avoid similar issues in the future:

Regularly back up your virtual machines with Time Machine or snapshots.
Don’t power off your Mac while VMware Fusion is running.
Ensure your disk always has sufficient free space.

Conclusion

If your VMware Fusion virtual machine stops working, it doesn’t mean your data is lost forever. Even if the .vmdk disk is damaged or deleted, recovery is possible. The key is to stop writing new data and start recovery as soon as possible.

We’ve reviewed the key virtual machine file types and described practical recovery methods using both built-in and third-party tools. These solutions allow you to mount, scan, and recover files even without booting the virtual machine.

If you use VMware regularly, make it a habit to back up .vmdk and .vmx files and create snapshots before updates or system changes.

Remember: the sooner you begin recovery, the higher your chances of getting your valuable data back.

How to Recover Data From a Buffalo NAS hd-H1.0TGLR5

Michael Mirosnichenko — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 08:15:27 +0000

This article explains the causes that can lead to damage of a Buffalo HD-H1.0TGL/R5 RAID 5 array and outlines effective methods for restoring lost data using specialized recovery tools.

RAID storage on Buffalo network-attached storage (NAS) devices is widely used in home and small business environments to store large amounts of data securely and efficiently.

The Buffalo TeraStation HD-H1.0TGL/R5 supports RAID 5, allowing several hard drives to be combined into one array with distributed data and parity blocks. Such a setup provides an optimal balance between performance, fault tolerance, and disk space utilization.

However, even RAID 5 cannot guarantee complete protection from data loss. Disk failures, controller malfunctions, software errors, or improper user actions can corrupt the array and cause data inaccessibility. For NAS users, this often results in the loss of valuable work files, archives, or media collections.

Below, we’ll demonstrate how to recover data from a RAID 5 array (four drives) using the Buffalo HD-H1.0TGL/R5 as an example.

How to Create RAID 5 on Buffalo HD-H1.0TGL/R5

To create a RAID 5 array, access the storage management panel via NAS Navigator. Locate your device, right-click it, and select Open Settings.

Alternatively, enter the NAS IP address in your browser’s address bar. Log in using the administrator credentials (default: admin / password).

Next, navigate to Disk Management → RAID Configuration, then select RAID Array 1 and choose RAID 5.

Mark the drives you want to include, click Setup RAID Array → OK, and confirm with the code displayed on the screen.

The system will start building and verifying the array, formatted with the XFS file system. You can review other RAID parameters here.

Creating a Shared Folder

While verification runs, you can set up shared folders.
Go to Settings → Shared Folders → Add, specify the folder name, select the RAID array, and configure sharing options (Windows, macOS, Linux compatibility, Recycle Bin, access rights, etc.).

How to Recover Data From RAID on Buffalo HD-H1.0TGL/R5

⚠️ Caution: Any wrong action when handling RAID drives may lead to irreversible data loss. If the information is critical and you’re unsure, contact a professional recovery service.

Step 1. What You’ll Need

A Windows PC with available power and data ports.
Since this NAS uses IDE drives, you may need IDE-to-SATA adapters if your motherboard lacks IDE ports.
Hetman RAID Recovery – specialized software for restoring damaged RAID arrays.
A separate storage drive (external or internal) for saving recovered files.
A marker for labeling drives and a screwdriver for disassembly.

Step 2. Begin the Recovery

Remove the drives from the NAS and connect them to your PC. Label each drive in the correct order (1, 2, 3, 4) — the sequence is crucial for RAID 5 reconstruction.

When Windows prompts to initialize or format the disks, click Cancel — never modify the drives.

Launch Hetman RAID Recovery. The program automatically detects the drives, reconstructs the RAID, and displays the array structure. It supports all common RAID types and file systems, including XFS, and works with NAS brands like Buffalo, Synology, and QNAP.

Step 3. Creating Disk Images

You can also work with disk images instead of physical drives.

Select a drive, click Save Disk, and choose a path to store the image. To mount it, click Mount Disk and specify the saved file path.

Once all images are mounted, the utility will rebuild the RAID and display it in the main window.

Step 4. Recovering Data

Double-click the reconstructed array and choose a scan type: Fast Scan or Full Analysis.

Start with Fast Scan to quickly locate existing and deleted files (marked with red crosses).

Select the required files, click Recover, and specify where to save them.

If you can’t find certain files, perform a Full Analysis → Deep Scan to search by content.

Hetman RAID Recovery also includes a manual RAID constructor, allowing you to define parameters such as RAID type, block order, and block size. The software validates your input in real time — if the correct structure appears, proceed to scan and restore.

Conclusion

Recovering data from a RAID 5 array on a Buffalo HD-H1.0TGL/R5 requires precision and the right tools. Although RAID 5 offers fault tolerance, power surges, system failures, or user errors can still make the array inaccessible.

Avoid rebuilding the RAID directly on the NAS — this can permanently overwrite your data. The best solution is to extract the drives, connect them to a PC, and use Hetman RAID Recovery to virtually reconstruct the RAID 5 configuration, read the XFS file system, and recover your files.

Even if the Buffalo NAS itself fails, your data remains safe on the drives and can be recovered with the right approach and software. Acting promptly and handling the drives carefully greatly increases the chances of a successful recovery.

How to Recover Data After Windows 10 Update to Version 1809 Dated 2 October 2018

Michael Mirosnichenko — Sun, 07 Aug 2022 12:13:47 +0000

On 2 October 2018, Microsoft announced a new October build, Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809). This update has become automatically available for millions of users who were looking forward to it. Read how to recover data after upgrading Windows 10 to version 1809. What problems you may encounter and how to fix them.

Everything would be fine, but… social media, theme blogs as well as the official website of the Microsoft community were overwhelmed by questions and complaints from users who lost their data due to their operating systems update to the latest version.

Here are some of them:

Summing up all posts and messages, users complained that they had lost their personal files from such folders as Documents, Pictures, Music etc, and sometimes even installed apps and programs. That is, their data was gone after Windows had updated to October’s build 1809.

Because of the problems with removal of files from user accounts after update, Microsoft decided to recall the final build Windows 10 October 2018 Update (1809). Since 6 October, the build is no longer distributed via Windows Update service. If you downloaded an ISO image on your own — don’t install it and wait for a new build.

For those who haven’t managed to download an image of the new Windows 10 build yet, the update function is blocked. They are not going to receive any updates via Windows Update, and the official website lists Windows 10 April 2018 Update as the latest version available.

The link to the page:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

In the page of the new build, you can only find the user information warning the people from hurrying to install the October update until the issue with data loss is cleared up and the bugs are fixed. There is also the contact information to use if your data was lost after the update.

We are expecting a fixed version of Windows 10 October 2018 Update. Still, if you are among the unfortunate whose files were deleted by the operating system’s build 1809, you can restore them using the methods researched by Hetman Software long before that.

How to Recover Data From a Damaged or Non-Operable Hard Disk

Michael Mirosnichenko — Sun, 07 Aug 2022 12:13:09 +0000

Read about the factors to damage the hard disk. How to recover data from a hard disk after physical or logical damage. Any failure in the work of a hard disk can get it damaged and trigger the loss of all data stored there. Yet even this disastrous situation is not so hopeless as it seems. In some cases, you can repair your hard disk and recover data, entirely or partially, from a damaged or non-operable hard disk. In this guide, we will describe the main causes why a hard disk can be damaged, and present effective methods to bring your data back.

Introduction

The main element of a desktop PC or laptop in charge of safe data storage is a hard disk, also known as HDD. Regardless of being internal or external, such disks have the largest capacity compared to other data storage devices which is the key to understanding their wide range of use and extreme popularity.

It’s no surprise that if a hard disk is damaged, broken or has some operation issues, all the information it contains becomes inaccessible for the user. Very important user data accumulated over the years with much effort can be lost, and recreating it again (for example, things like personal photo and video archives) does not seem possible at all. Despite of all the grim colors here, this situation is not that critical, and user data can still be saved. Later in this article, we will focus on the main causes of hard disks getting damaged, and explain how to restore the lost data.

Hard Disk Design

Before we get to describe possible causes that make a hard disk damaged or broken down, it’s worth taking a look at how a hard disk is arranged inside to have a better understanding of possible problems.

An HDD, a hard disk (in other words, a hard disk drive) is a mechanical mass-storage device which is meant to write, retrieve and store various user information. For example, business and personal documents, music, videos, various phots and pictures, electronic messages, projects and presentations, scientific and literary research works, games and so on – these are only a small portion of all data that a hard disk stores and provides access to.

The main elements of the hard disk are rigid glass or aluminum platters coated with special stuff and meant to store data. Writing and reading any information is performed with special magnetic heads that do not touch the platters when working, which improves the hard disk lifetime. Administration and full control of all main functions of the hard disk belong to the PCB board.

The listed main elements let the disk write and read any data, at the user’s choice, for a long time.

Data Backup Copy

Hard disks are quite reliable but have a certain durability resource, which is limited. The less resource is left the higher are the chances that a hard disk will break down or stop working. Nevertheless, even in such situation when the drive is no longer operable, there are methods to recover the data that’s still inside.

That’s why, and taking into account that your disk may get damaged especially when you see certain warnings (which we will describe below), you should take care and create a disk backup copy, for example, on an external storage device. Alternatively, you can use any of the possible ways to create a backup copy in a cloud storage device. This method is quite convenient as it lets you save a lot of time in case the main hard disk breaks down suddenly, and at the same time, it gives you access to your data at any time and from any computer device.

Despite all the positive effects of creating a backup copy, such methods may have certain downsides as well. When you store data on another device, there is a risk that the additional device can break down as well as the main storage device. However, the chances for both devices to get out of order at the same time are very slight. Also, the device used as a standby storage should have a large internal capacity as the amount of user’s data is growing day by day.

With the cloud storage option, there is always a risk that third parties can access the backup copy, or this data can be hacked or lost after a virus attack. That’s why this method will be good only if the user is absolutely confident that the data is stored safely and won’t be stolen.

You can learn more about backup options in the Windows operating system, system restore, creating a system image and recovery disk, and find out the advantages of cloud storages and configure them for data backups by visiting our YouTube channel and watching the video guide Windows Back Up (OneDrive, File History, System Image, Recovery Disk).

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Based on their own preferences, people choose this or another backup method. However, the point is that backups are a must have.

Possible Symptoms of a Damaged Hard Disk

When certain signs appear, you can predict future problems with the hard disk and prepare for them, securing your data by creating a backup copy or transferring your data to another storage device. Below, we listed several main symptoms you should pay attention to:

Strange noises – sometimes users hear strange noises which may indicate that the disk is damaged and it is high time to repair it. In this case, using the disk any longer is unacceptable.

Disappearing data – when data disappears from the PC or you can’t save documents, it means that your disk is trying to fix some damage, so it’s worth thinking of saving your data somewhere else before your disk breaks down completely. There may also be other causes such as malware (virus) effects which can also harm the hard disk.

Various computer failures – if your computer encounters regular BSODs, or the boot process restarts at the initial stage, it may indicate hard disk issues as well.

Long access time – modern computers have very quick processors so it shouldn’t take too long to open a folder or remove some files. If all processes of your computer slow down, and you feel the computer’s performance is affected, there are high chances it’s your hard disk breaking down.

Preliminary Action and Diagnostics

As soon as you encounter any symptoms indicating possible hard disk damage, you should take some action to reduce the risk of permanently losing the data stored in that disk.

This first thing is to find out if the problem is really a hard disk failure. That’s why you should stop using the computer and turn it off. Even if you don’t address the disk directly, the operating system may independently perform certain actions and write various data to the system disk: temporary files, separate fragments of the paging file, registry data, event logs etc which can overwrite the data you are going to recover. Sometimes even small changes can make important data disappear.

The next step is to take out the problem-causing hard disk and connect it to another personal computer as an additional drive. Try connecting the hard disk with a separate cable, or use a multifunctional adapter. If there is no other computer to use, take a spare and healthy hard disk (the one you are certain about) and insert it instead of your disk the operability of which you’d like to check. Install the operating system onto the new disk and use it as the main one, and then connect the disk in question additionally.

If the computer can confirm the good condition of the hard disk and provide full access to its contents, then the problem is evidently connected with other equipment such as cables or connectors of your computer. If that’s the case, replace the faulty cables with new ones and join your hard disk to another connector. In rare cases, a hard disk refusing to work with your computer (but normally working with another one) may indicate a motherboard failure. Anyway, checking the computer’s entire technical condition will be advisable.

Causes of damage to the hard disk and possible preventive methods

There are many situations that may result in damage to the disk. Your personal computer works all right, but one day it suddenly stops booting or can’t give you access to files. Whatever happens, there are still two main causes to result in a hard disk failure: mechanical damage or problems after a logical failure. Each cause may combine several types of issues which we are going to consider below.

Mechanical Damage

This general term includes three kinds of defects:

Damaged PCB elements: Such defect makes a hard disk inaccessible. Meanwhile, all data will be completely safe, or only a small share of the data may get damaged. The damaged PCB board (also known as logic board) can be repaired (for example, replace failed or bulged capacitors) or replaced with a healthy PCB. However, you should take into account that the PCB board should be compatible with the hard disk, that is, comply with the main parameters (for example, model, series and firmware version) and support adaptive tuning of a particular hard disk. After all necessary actions, the disk can be used again.

Hardware mechanical failures inside the hermetical block: These usually include breaking-off or fracturing of the head assembly, destroyed bearings and motors, which may, in its turn, result in damage to the platters. Sometimes the head assembly (head block) may get stuck in the landing zone, or the damaged head assembly may block access to certain sectors. With such defect, a hard disk doesn’t start and can’t be recognized by the computer’s BIOS. It is next to impossible for an ordinary user to fix such a defect, as even microscopic particles of dust which get inside the drive when it is opened may be likely to put it out of action forever.

Damaged platters of the hard disk: It can be both an independent issue and a consequence of hardware issues described in the previous part of the article. This defect is mostly represented by appearance of scratches or bad blocks – damaged sectors where data cannot be read. As a result, opportunities for disk remapping become scarce. So if the damaged sector contains information on the structure, the corresponding level of the disk logical structure disappears; if the unfortunate data concerned a file, such file becomes inaccessible.

With mechanical damage issues (if you are not confident of your skills and don’t have the sufficient knowledge to repair a damaged or inaccessible hard disk), the best solution is to contact a specialized laboratory dealing with data recovery and hard disk repairs. Any careless movement can result in complete loss of data without a single chance to bring it back.

Every such laboratory possesses specialized equipment and sterile, dustproof premises that won’t let any dust into the open hard disk case, and their staff are skilled enough to recover information from faulty, damaged or non-operable storage devices.

The only considerable disadvantage of dealing with such labs is the exorbitant price of their services. In spite of all their abilities, labs don’t give you any guarantee that the information from such damaged disks can be recovered in full. However, you will have to pay the full price of their works even if the final result is negative.

So before asking the lab for help, think about the amount of data inside the damaged hard disk and decide if it’s worth the expenses you are going to take. Then you’ll have to either face the hard reality of losing it, or use professional data recovery software to get your data back.

Problems After a Logical Failure

Recovering Deleted Files in Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP

Michael Mirosnichenko — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 07:38:54 +0000

Read this article to learn how to recover files in Windows. Let’s consider causes for losing files and ways of recovering them with the system standard tools and third-party data recovery software. Modern computer devices cover an extremely wide range of usage and are currently represented by desktop computers, laptops, netbooks, ultrabooks, tablets, smartphones etc. Every device is a complicated electronic gadget created to perform certain functions and used in various situations.

In the Windows operating system users can easily process any data and move information as they think fit. However, such simplified access to data can lead to losing or deleting important data from the storage device of a personal computer, due to external influences or wrong actions of the user. In this article, we will present a basic guide on restoring deleted files in the Windows operating system. We will try to consider possible effective solutions to restore deleted files in Windows 10 which are also good for earlier versions of the operating system, like Windows 8/7 / Vista / XP. Among other things, you will learn how to restore deleted files from the Recycle Bin, from the hard disk, SD card, USB drive etc.

Recovering Deleted Files

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Before they start work, users tend to never think about possible unfortunate situations of getting a necessary file lost or deleted. Therefore, they don’t take any preparatory action. Yet when the bad things happen and the file containing necessary information is gone, users have to face the questions like:

How to restore a deleted file?
What methods for recovering deleted files are there?
What software should be used?
Is there any way to preview a deleted file to check its health before recovering it?
Is the complete recovery ever guaranteed?

Sooner or later, every user has to face the situation when they need these questions answered. Especially when you delete files from your device by mistake, and then there is a a real need to have them back.

There are various methods to delete files: with the key shortcut Shift + Delete, removed from the Recycle Bin or deleted from the USB drive etc. In these cases, the files are deleted permanently, and you can’t restore them from the Windows Recycle Bin. The situation may seem critical, and the important data contained in the deleted files is gone forever. However, the good news is that in most cases you still can recover deleted files in Windows, and this process won’t take much effort or money.

What are the possible scenarios in deleting files? Deleting files is one of the commonplace things in the Windows operating system, but users can do it in a number of ways:

Deleting files with the simultaneously pressing the keys Shift + Delete – files deleted this way are erased immediately without placing them into the Recycle Bin.
Deleting separate files form the Recycle Bin – such deleting will make restoring these files impossible with standard functions of the Recycle Bin.
Emptying the Recycle Bin – all files and folders in it will be removed. As well as in the case with separate files, it will be impossible to restore the contents of the Recycle Bin with its standard functions.
Deleting files from a USB drive, memory card, external hard disk and so on – the files are not moved to the Recycle Bin but deleted permanently at once.
Files are lost when they are transferred by cutting from one location and pasting into the other (Cut &Paste).
As a result of replacing – the file is overwritten when inserted into the folder which already contains a file with the same name.
Files are deleted as a result of malware (virus) influence.

Taking into account the listed cases of files deleted permanently, you may ask yourself, in which cases can the deleted files still be restored? Using various methods of file recovery, you will be able to rescue almost all kinds of deleted files on your own.

First of all, pay attention to the files sent to the Recycle Bin. They can be restored easily before you empty it.

Secondly, you can restore lost or deleted files from previously created backups supported by OneDrive cloud storage or other devices. If you saved a backup to OneDrive or other storage devices, you will be able to restore the lost data from there.

Thirdly, there is 100% guarantee to restore files easily if they were deleted only recently. If you realized how important the deleted files are, immediately stop using the disk partition (or the entire disk) where the deleted files were stored. Probably, your deleted files may get overwritten with the time, so the sooner you start the recovery process, the better. Even if you stopped using the drive or partition for writing new data, the operating system may do it on its own, and it applies to the system disk С:/ particularly. Using professional data recovery software will help you get your lost data back.

As most deleted data can be recovered easily, there is no need to give way to panic every time you face this problem. Further on, we will show you various ways how to recover deleted files in the Windows operating system.

Why Can Deleted Files be Recovered in Windows?

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Before we get to describe possible recovery methods, it should be explained why deleted files don’t disappear in the Windows operating system and can be restored even after they are deleted permanently. In fact, the answer is quite simple and results from understanding how files are processed and handled in the Windows operating system. When a file is stored on the hard disk, the operating system additionally records the information containing the file size, its name, location, file type etc and keeps it in a place different from the file contents.

When the user addresses a file, the operating system reads the entire information on the file and basing on that searches from the contents in the data storage device. Such way of searching is necessary as the contents of any file takes up certain amount of disk space when saved and this space includes a certain number of storage cells (sectors / blocks). They can be located all over the surface of the storage device in various places and they are not always a unity (fragmented storage), but thanks to the system information on the file all those pieces are collected and brought together to be displayed to the user.

If the user deletes a file, this action only erases the system information, and the file’s actual contents remains unchanged. The reason why the deleted file is not displayed any longer is that the operating system marks the sectors occupied with the contents of the deleted file as free sectors, so new data can be saved there.

That’s why the contents of deleted files are still available on the hard disk until the said sectors of the storage device are overwritten with new data. It will happen over time if you continue using your device to save various information or install new applications and programs. Data recovery software can extract the data remaining in the sectors of the data storage device marked as free for writing, and restore it for you. So if you ever need to erase a hard disk or other storage media completely, you’ll have to take additional action to erase all sectors entirely (e. g. overwrite the sectors with other data several times).

The Things You Should Take Into Account Before Recovering Deleted Data in Windows

In the Windows operating system there is a series of peculiarities you should take into account before you begin recovering deleted data:

Deleted files can be completely restored before they get overwritten with new data so you should try to protect the deleted files from overwriting. Try to stop using the data storage device from which you deleted the files you are trying to recover now. Don’t install any new software, don’t do video streaming, don’t download or edit existing files on the hard disk to prevent possible actions that may result in overwriting the disk space which was allocated to store your files before they were deleted. Otherwise, it may result in complete loss of the deleted data and you won’t be able to restore it.
Even professional data recovery software or specialized data recover labs cannot recover the files that have been overwritten entirely. If that’s the case, your only option is to face the harsh reality. If the file is overwritten only partially, it can be recovered partially either. The final result will depend directly on the remaining share of the data which was not overwritten yet. The bigger this share, the better is the final result.
You can recover deleted files from different types of devices: USB drives, hard disks, virtual disks, memory cards, flash drives etc. However, you can’t pull this trick with SSDs (solid-state drives) as they are using the TRIM technology. After deleting the files, the command informs the SSD which blocks don’t contain important data and so they don’t have to be stored. Thanks to TRIM data is completely erased from memory cells, which makes the write and read speeds much faster but excludes all chances for restoring such data later.
If deleted files were saved to the disk’s system partition or its directory (for example, on the desktop), you should turn off the system as soon as possible and recover data in WinPE environment or connect the hard disk to another computer. Regardless of your actions, the operating system writes various data for its own needs and may overwrite your deleted files and thus make their recovery nearly impossible. The Windows pre-installation environment (WinPE) is a light version of the operating system that can boot from a USB drive, compact disk or network, and excludes using the disk space allocated for the main operating system. Connecting your disk with deleted files to another personal computer excludes the chances for overwriting the data by the operating system’s internal services, and therefore allows you to recover the deleted files with high chances of success.
Make it a rule to try recovering deleted files with any data recovery software before you decide to buy it. Most fee-paying versions of such software is offered as shareware. It means such programs are provided as a trial version with all functions for scanning and full-fledged recovery of any types of lost or deleted data. By results of the scanning, the program will let you see all the deleted files it has detected and helps you to make sure the files will be recovered properly.

Method 1. Restore Deleted Files from the Recycle Bin in Windows 10.

If you delete files from the local hard disk on your PC or laptop, the Windows operating system places them to the Recycle Bin. This is the default setting of the operating system – if you didn’t change it, of course. The Recycle Bin is a certain area in the disk space reserved by Windows to store deleted user files before they are finally erased. Deleted files will remain in the Recycle Bin until you remove them manually from there, or before you empty the Recycle Bin. The time period for storing the files also depends on the amount of disk space allocated for the Recycle Bin. If the amount of deleted files exceeds the limits of the Recycle Bin, the older deleted files will be erased and overwritten with newer ones. This rule applies to all versions of the Windows operating systems, such as Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP. To restore deleted files from the Recycle Bin, just do the following:

Step 1. Open the Recycle Bin on your computer by double-clicking its desktop icon, or right-click on it and select Open from the context menu.

Step 2. Find the files and folders you want to restore and select them by using standard methods. For convenience in searching and selecting the files you need, you can sort them by various criteria using the filters: Name, Date Deleted, Original Location, Size, Item Type etc.

Step 3. Right-click on the selected files and choose Restore in the context menu. Or click on Restore the selected items button which you can find in the Recycle Bin tools tab. All selected files will be recovered and placed to their original locations where they were stored before being deleted.

If you wish to restore all files in the Recycle Bin, click on the corresponding button in the main ribbon Restore all items and they will all go back to their previous locations.

Step 4. View the restored files and check if they were restored properly, and if their information is displayed correctly.

Method 2. Extract Permanently Deleted Files from a Windows Backup

If you can’t find the necessary deleted files in the Recycle Bin you will have to use backup data or third-party data recovery software to have your files back. In this part of the article, we’ll show you how to restore deleted files from a Windows backup you created before. If you don’t make backups, go on to methods 4 and 5 in this guide to know how to restore deleted information with data recovery software.

Step 1. Click on the Start button in the lower left corner of your desktop, on the Taskbar, and open the main Windows menu. Drag the scroll bar down and find the section Windows System. Open the nested menu and select Control Panel from the list of available apps.

How to Recover Files After Deleting and Emptying the Recycle Bin?

Michael Mirosnichenko — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 07:38:22 +0000

Read this article to find out how to restore deleted files from the Recycle Bin, and how to recover them after you emptied the Recycle Bin, or deleted the files without sending them to the Bin, and what tools can help you.

How can I get the files back from the Windows Recycle Bin? I accidentally deleted some files and want to bring them back, what should I do? Can I recover my files deleted permanently? Quite often, users delete their files by mistake and wonder how to restore them from the Windows Recycle Bin, and what to do if the files are no longer there. In this article, we will try to answer such questions and offer possible ways to recover deleted data.

What is the Recycle Bin in Windows?

To understand the possible ways of restoring files from the Windows Recycle Bin or after it is emptied, we should first have a look at the notion of such Recycle Bin.

As an operating system tool, the Windows Recycle Bin is an element of the graphical interface that represents a system-allocated area of the disk space reserved by the operating system to delete and temporarily store deleted user data before such data is permanently erased. It can have various internal settings to manage the reserved space and the ways of storing data.

In all versions of this operating system, the Windows Recycle Bin is located in the main root directory and is a hidden system folder which prevent access by inexperienced users and saves them from actions that could bring undesired consequences.

After files are deleted, they are moved to the area occupied by the Windows Recycle Bin and are kept there until certain conditions are met. Also, deleted files can be restored or erased completely depending on the properties configuration.

The Windows Recycle Bin offers a safe temporary storage for all deleted files and folders. When you delete an element from the hard disk of a desktop or laptop computer, the Windows operating system places it into the Recycle Bin and its icon type changes from empty to full.

If you have several hard disks, partitions, or an external hard disk connected to your computer, each of them will have its own bin, $ Recycle.Bin, and settings. Removable disks such as USB drives and memory cards do not have Windows Recycle Bin. That’s why files deleted from removable data storage devices are deleted permanently at once.

The Windows Recycle Bin will store the deleted files until the disk space occupied by them reaches the maximal limit set for the Windows Recycle Bin. When it happens, the Windows Recycle Bin will automatically remove the old (previously deleted) files from there to free some space for new files deleted only recently.

If you use keeping all your deleted files in the Windows Recycle Bin as a protective measure, you can increase the maximal size of the disk space reserved for its needs, and set your own limit to how much disk space the Recycle Bin is allowed to take.

We will go into detail of the Windows Recycle Bin settings in the next part of this article.

How to Configure the Recycle Bin?

Configuring internal option of the Windows Recycle Bin is quite easy and doesn’t take much time. It is mostly reduced to configuring the two options: setting the maximal size of the disk space allocated to manage deleted files, and dealing with the instant delete option.

Usually the Windows Recycle Bin has a desktop shortcut created when the operating system was installed. To access the settings window, click on the Windows Recycle Bin shortcut and open the context menu. From the list of possible actions, select Properties.

If there is no shortcut for the Windows Recycle Bin on the desktop (you might have changed settings when installing the operating system), then follow this sequence of actions to have the shortcut displayed again. It can be done in several ways. For example, right-click on an empty area on the desktop and open a context menu, then select Personalize from the list.

Settings, the main app for all options of the operating system will open in the Personalization page. In the left panel, go to the Themes section, and in the right panel, use the scroll bar to go down the page and find the section Related settings. Now click on the text link Desktop icon settings.

The corresponding settings window will open; in the section Desktop Icons check the box next to Recycle Bin to make the Windows Recycle Bin icon be displayed on the desktop. Then click Apply and OK to save the changes you have made.

In the window Recycle Bin Properties choose the location of the Windows Recycle Bin (for example, Local Disk С:) for which you want to change the maximal size.

In the section Settings for selected location check the option next to the cell Custom size: Maximum size (MB): In the corresponding cell, enter the value for the amount of disk space (1024 MB = 1 GB) you would like to allocate for the needs of the Recycle Bin. Then click Apply and OK to save the changes you have made to the size of the Windows Recycle Bin.

Note: Usually the maximal default size of the storage space for the Windows Recycle Bin should be about 5 percent of the disk free space.

You can change the maximal size for the Windows Recycle Bin for all local disks shown in the properties window. Select the necessary disk and repeat the procedure to change the storage space size.

If for some reason you are not going to set the final size for the Windows Recycle Bin or you want to disable it (for example, you lack free disk space to keep user files), you can enable the function of deleting files permanently.

To do it, in the window Recycle Bin Properties in the section Settings for selected location and check the option Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted. Then click Apply and ОК for the changes to take effect.

Now all files and folders you delete will miss the reserved storage space of the Windows Recycle Bin and will be erased immediately.

It means that recovering them with integrated functions of the Recycle Bin (this is what we’ll be talking about in a moment) is no longer possible.

Different Ways to Delete Files and the Recycle Bin

In the Windows operating system, there are two ways to delete files: ordinary and permanent.

In the first case, a user deletes files using the Delete button on the keyboard, or from the Windows File Explorer using the context menu. If the Windows Recycle Bin is configured to store deleted files and has a certain reserved size, then all files are moved to the Bin after they are deleted. That is why the user can always rely on integrated functions of the Windows Recycle Bin if some files were deleted by mistake or if the user decides to restore them.

In the second case, when the user deletes files in another way (for example, with the key shortcut Shift + Delete or if the option to destroy files immediately after deleting is enabled in the Windows Recycle Bin properties etc), such files are erased at once. They will not be displayed in the Windows Recycle Bin and restoring them will make you use special third-party software.

You can read more about the two ways of deleting files (ordinary and permanent) in our previous article: «Files sent to The Recycle Bin: How to View, Restore or Delete Them Permanently».

Three Methods to Recover Deleted Files from the Recycle Bin

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As we have already said in our article, various methods can be used to restore files depending on how they were deleted. We will focus on the three main ways to restore deleted files that you can use as you think fit.

Restoring deleted files from the Windows Recycle Bin to their original location.
Recovering deleted files with freeware.
Recovering files deleted permanently from the Windows Recycle Bin with the powerful software tool, Hetman Partition Recovery.

Below, we will describe each method and point out the possible reasons to influence your choice in every case.

Restoring Deleted Files from the Recycle Bin to Their Original Location.

This method to restore deleted files is good if the user prefers ordinary deletion of files and folders, and the fixed size option is enabled for the Windows Recycle Bin.

Open the Windows Recycle Bin by double-clicking on its desktop icon. Otherwise, right-click on it and open a context menu. From the list of possible actions, select Open.

How to Convert a RAW Disk Into NTFS and Restore its Data?

Michael Mirosnichenko — Sun, 17 Jul 2022 18:58:02 +0000

Read this article to find out why a disk turns into RAW, how you can convert it into NTFS. How to restore access to a RAW disk, and how to restore information from such a disk. Is the disk file system identified as RAW? Would you like to restore the NTFS partition after a loss of data? Do you have problems with formatting a disk into NTFS file system? Are you looking for an app to change RAW into NTFS? You will find answers to these and other questions in our article.

It may become a desperate and frightful experience to open a disk and find some empty unallocated space instead of your data – most users tend to believe all their information is lost forever. Such situation is very unpleasant but not at all critical. All the data in such storage device is still there but the system cannot identify the disk internal structure and give you access to the data. However, you can fix the file system format (shown as RAW) and bring it back to the original condition, and thus get your data back. In this article, we will consider the main seven causes behind this problem and offer you several methods to solve the issue.

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What is RAW by Itself

Before we move on to describing the causes that make your storage device turn into RAW format and looking for possible ways out, let’s try to explain the situation in detail.

The notion of RAW is meant to indicate a file system of a volume that cannot be identified (a volume is a part of the computer’s long-term memory considered as a single unified storage area, for convenience of use).

Every volume or storage space have a specific file system representing a certain order and determining a special way to organize, store and indicate data on storage devices within computers and other electronic gadgets.

The core has a built-in system component RAWFS, its main function being to notify any applications about the volume size and the version of the file system if they send a corresponding request. When it’s impossible to identify the file system, the indication RAW appears. In other words, it means the that name of the file system in a disk partition cannot be recognized for some reason by any of the file system drivers installed and available in Windows operating system.

In practice, it suggests that the partition is not formatted in a certain format, the file system structure is damaged, or there is a cause that makes the internal contents of the partition (disk) inaccessible. Further on, we will list the main reasons why some partitions turn into RAW.

The Seven Main Causes Why RAW Happens

There are many symptoms of a hard disk partition becoming of RAW format. As we have already described in the previous part of the article, there can be very different causes to make it impossible to recognize the disk file system name. Additionally, the operating system may require that you perform certain actions before you can use the partition of the disk where the file system is shown as RAW. For example, the Windows operating system shows an error warning and suggests to perform the following action: You need to format the disk in Drive … before you can use it. Do you want to format it? In this case, you won’t be able to get access to the disk partition and all the information there until you comply with the operating system requirements.

In such a situation, formatting the partition can help you get rid of the RAW format problem. However, this process will destroy all the data stored in such a partition. That’s why we suggest that you get acquainted with the main causes of the problem and useful advice on eliminating them without losing data.

Note: Sometimes a disk or other storage media is shown in the RAW format if their file system is not supported by the current version of the operating system installed on your computer. In this case, you should take some action to open the storage device in the operating system it was originally intended for and which supports the use of such file system.

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Below, there are seven possible causes – and some solutions available for each one.

1. Bad Sectors

if there are bad sectors (or blocks) in the key areas of a hard disk, such disk will definitely never work properly, which can damage the file system and make it appear as RAW.

2. Damaged file system structure

The main underlying cause of errors and disk partitions or entire disks to appear as RAW is connected with the reliability of the file system which can be undermined for a number of causes besides bad sectors. Therefore, if the file system contains internal structural damage, a partition may acquire the RAW format.

3. Damaged Partition Table

The next – and no less important – cause of RAW format problems in a disk partition is probably a damaged partition table. For example, wrong values in the MBR table which contains data and a code fragment as well as special signatures required for proper booting of the operating system can also cause this problem.

4. Reinstallation of the Windows Operating System

When you update the old operating system to its newer version, the file system of the system partition can also be changed into the new version of the file system (for example, it may change from FAT to NTFS). In this case, the file system may not be identified by the new operating system properly, and as a result it will be displayed as RAW.

5. Virus and Malware Attacks

One of the most widespread causes to make a disk partition appear as belonging to RAW file system is aggressive actions by viruses or other malware. Their malicious attack can damage a part of the partition table which indicates the beginning and the end of the partition and contains other additional data, or change / delete important settings of the hard disk. As a result, it will be impossible to determine the boundaries of the damaged partition and its file system, and it will make the disk partition attacked by malware be displayed as RAW when it is addressed by the computer.

6. Damaged Cables or Connectors

Sometimes, a hard disk or storage device can be displayed as an unidentified RAW file system when the connecting cable is damaged, or there is poor contact in the connector.

Usually the hard disk cable is the last thing to get out of order, but you should not forget it could be one of the possible causes to make the system identify the disk as RAW. It is especially relevant when there was a power surge or there is a chance of other mechanical damage. Most of the time, there can be problems with the connector used for the hard disk that gets damaged if the disk is connected and disconnected very frequently, or if the connector has a poor contact insufficient for proper display and operation of the data storage device.

7. Wrong Drive Access Permissions

One of the possible causes for a partition to acquire the RAW format can be wrongly configured access settings which are directly connected to local security policy settings. As a result, the operating system may restrict your access to a partition and display it as an area with an unidentified file system.

Methods to Restore Access to a RAW Disk

Depending on the causes that made a partition or the entire disk be displayed in the RAW format, you will have to follow a certain procedure to fix the problem. The actions described below should be taken one by one until the wrongly displayed disk issue is solved. After each step, check if the problem is eliminated, and go on to the next stage if the result is still negative.

1. Check the Condition of Cables or Connectors

If there was a power surge, you should check cables and connectors for possible damage. Replace the damaged cable with a good one and check the disk again. Otherwise, connect the drive to another connector which you know is in a good working condition and try again. These actions may be enough to solve the problem.

2. Modify Security Settings in Partition Properties

From the viewpoint of configuring partition access permissions, you can modify the necessary security settings in the partition properties window. Open the File Explorer and find your RAW format partition or disk. Right-click on it and open the context menu; from the list of actions, select Properties.

In the new window, switch to the tab Security where you can remove unnecessary users and any junk codes, and add a local user to restore access to the disk.

3. Modify Security Settings in Partition Properties

If for some reason you can’t allow access to the required partition, you can modify security settings with the integrated tool of the operating system – Local Security Policy. You can open its window in several ways. For example, click on the Start button in the lower left corner of your desktop, on the Taskbar, and open the main Windows menu. Drag the slider down until you find the line Windows Administrative Tools. Click on it once and open the context menu. From the list of system elements, select Local Security Policy.

In the window that opens, look at the left panel and select Local Policies, and in the right panel, double-click on Security Options, or right-click on it and choose Open in the context menu.

Why There Are No Deleted Files in the Recycle Bin

Michael Mirosnichenko — Sun, 17 Jul 2022 18:57:42 +0000

Read this article to find out why deleted files are sometimes missing from the Recycle Bin. How to configure the size of Recycle Bin in Windows, how to fix the damaged Recycle Bin, and how to restore permanently deleted files. Information is very important in this rapidly developing world. Widespread use of all kinds of computer devices has brought all information into the digital form. Personal computers and laptops, netbooks and tablet PCs, smartphones and other devices have access to information, process and store it, and identify it with specific users.

Introduction

The Windows operating system has become the most popular choice, especially for personal computers and laptops. It includes a wide range of integrated system tools for full-fledged management of the computer’s entire functionality, data storage and processing, as well as file management.

One of the embedded tools dealing with removing unnecessary data is the Recycle Bin. It’s an element of the operating system’s interface that takes up certain part of the disk space and deals with deleting and temporary storing information deleted by the user before such data is erased permanently. The Recycle Bin acts as a kind of interim stage between the still existing data and its final removal so that users have a chance to restore deleted files and folders if they were removed by mistake. As you can see, the Recycle Bin is one of the main elements in data protection system that ensures safe recovery in case of accidental loss.

Uninterrupted access to data on any devices (if necessary) makes the system much easier to use. However, constant addressing the data storage devices may cause failures in their work due to internal factors, external influence or user’s actions.

So the Recycle Bin should be the first place for the user to check when they are looking for deleted files. Nevertheless, quite often some of the files you delete don’t end up in the Recycle Bin. Unfortunate users may not see the necessary files there.

Why deleted files are absent from the Recycle Bin

Originally, the Windows operating system is configured so that all deleted files are sent to the Recycle Bin. However, under certain conditions deleted files and folders miss the Recycle Bin and are deleted immediately. That’s why users can find the files in the Recycle Bin after deleting. There are several causes for deleted files to be absent from the Recycle Bin. In this article, we will try to describe the most widespread cases.

Deleting files with the Shift button

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The procedure for deleting a file on a desktop or laptop computer is simple enough. You can choose either of the following ways:

Deleting files in an ordinary way Select the file by left-clicking on it in the Windows File Explorer, on the desktop or in another file manager, and press the Delete button on the keyboard.

Otherwise, right-click on the selected file and open the context menu. From the list of possible actions, select Delete.

In both cases, the delete file service will show you the warning message, Are you sure you want to move this file to the Recycle Bin? Click on the Yes button and finish deleting the file in a standard way. The selected file will be moved to the Recycle Bin immediately. This method is good for single elements and groups of files (files and folders) and you can delete them right after you select them.

When you delete files this way, restoring them from the Recycle Bin is very easy, if they were deleted by mistake, or you need to have them back. In this case, open the Recycle Bin and choose the necessary deleted file or folder (or a group of files and folders, using the standard selecting procedure). Right-click on it and open the context menu. From the list of actions, select Restore. The chosen file (a group of files and folders) will be restored immediately and placed back to the last location where the file (files and folders) was/were stored before being deleted.

Or click on Restore the selected items button which you can find in the Recycle Bin tools tab to achieve the same result.

As we have mentioned before, after deleting the file is sent to the Recycle Bin unless the Recycle Bin default settings were modified. You will read about it in detail a bit later.

Deleting files permanently The other way uses the advanced technology for deleting files directly from the disk without placing them into the Recycle Bin and it works when you press the key shortcut Shift + Delete. When you use this command, selected files and folders will be removed at once and will no longer be available. Go to the location where you store your file (or a group of files and folders), select it / them and then press the abovesaid key shortcut. The delete file service will show you the warning message, Are you sure you want to permanently delete this file? Click the Yes button and the selected file will be deleted.

In this case, the Windows operating system has no tools to recover permanently deleted files or folders.

This is when third-party data recovery software comes up as the best solution. Use it to recover deleted files in the latest operating system, Windows 10, or other (i.e. earlier) versions of this operating system.

However, you should know that all versions of Windows lack the option for full permanent deletion of files that would exclude their subsequent recovery. Modern data recovery software uses various advanced algorithms to bring all your files back if necessary. If you are interested in truly permanent deletion of your files (for example, you want to sell your hard disk and you’d like to erase some confidential data completely), use one of the following ways which guarantee 100% erasure.

In the first case, overwrite the sectors, where you used to keep the data, several times to ensure the information will be erased completely. Such action actually removes the records so that they cannot be restored later.

In the second case, you’ll have to encrypt your confidential data, and then destroy the key used for encryption. Now you can delete such files following either procedure described in points 1 or 2. Even if the files were restored after such procedures, viewing their contents without the encryption key would be impossible. However, such method of deleting files permanently requires basic knowledge of cryptography.

Placing deleted files in Recycle Bin is disabled

When you can’t find files in the Recycle Bin the first thing to do is to check its settings. Find the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop and right-click on it. In the context menu, select Properties.

Otherwise, open the Recycle Bin window by double-clicking on its desktop icon or in any other way you like. Then click on Recycle Bin properties button which you can find in the Recycle Bin Tools tab.

When opening the window Recycle Bin Properties the General tab shows the section Settings for selected location. This problem appears when the option Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted is selected, so that files are deleted at once.

In this section, select the option Custom size and specify the maximum size of the Recycle Bin or agree to the size offered by the system. Then click Apply and ОК for the changes in the Recycle Bin settings to take place.

The size of the Recycle Bin should not be too small: if the Recycle Bin has insufficient space allocated for it, it will be more difficult to restore deleted files from there by using only Recycle Bin functions. After the Recycle Bin is full, each subsequent deleting of a file will place it into the Recycle Bin but another file (or group of files) which existed there before will be erased to make room for the newly added file. In other words, the Recycle Bin will overwrite the older deleted file with the new one. And if you decide to restore a file, which was deleted some time ago, from the Recycle Bin there are high chances that it has already been overwritten and therefore unavailable for restoring with the Recycle Bin standard procedure.

The file is larger than the maximal size of the Recycle Bin

Considering this factor is actually the continuation of the previous part of this article. You may face a situation when the size of the file you are trying to delete exceeds the size limitations of the Recycle Bin. Using the method described in the previous part of the article, open the Recycle Bin Properties window. In the section Settings for selected location check the maximum size set for the deleted files in the Recycle Bin. If this size is too small, you can expand it and then click Apply and OK to save the new settings.

User Online Activity in Instagram: Views, Searches and Likes

Michael Mirosnichenko — Mon, 16 May 2022 07:19:22 +0000

Read about the user activity data saved by Instagram, where to view it or how to delete it. Instagram is one of the most popular and fast-growing social media. It owes much of this popularity to its version for mobile devices. Nevertheless, instagram.com ranks among the twenty most visited websites in the world.

What data about user activity does Instagram save? Where and how can we see or delete it?

Search History

As any other social media, Instagram saves user’s search results by default. Just go to the search menu (the magnifying glass icon) and click in the Search field. As a result, you will see all recent search results.

To delete search history, go to your profile page (a human-shaped icon at the bottom of the screen) and click on the Options menu (with three dots in the upper part of the screen).

In the Options menu, go down to the last position and click on “Clear Search History”.

In the search history, Instagram recommends specific accounts. To hide the one you don’t need, press and hold it. After that, choose “Hide” in the confirmation window that appears.

Like History

To view like history, go to Instagram options and select the line “Posts You’ve Liked”.

To remove a publication from this menu, go to such publication and remove the like by tapping on the heart-shaped icon.

How to Delete or Disable an Account

If for some reason you need to delete your account or make entire history of your Instagram unavailable, you can delete the account or disable it for some time. What is the difference and how can we do it?

Disabling an Account Temporarily

If you disable your account temporarily, your profile, photos, comments and like marks will be hidden until you enable the account again by logging in. To disable your account for some time:

Use a browser to log in to instagram.com with a mobile device or from a computer.

You cannot disable your account temporarily from the Instagram mobile application.

Click on “Edit profile”.

Select “Temporarily disable my account” (in the lower right corner).

Choose a variant from the menu next to the field saying “Why are you disabling your account?” and enter your password again.

After that, click on “Temporarily disable account”.

Deleting an Account

When you delete your account, your profile, photos, videos, followers, comments and like marks are deleted forever. After deleting the account, you cannot sign up again with the same user name or add such user name to another account.

Please note: You cannot delete your account from the Instagram mobile application.

To delete your account forever:

Use your browser to go the page where the account can be deleted. However, deleting an account from Instagram is not that easy either. This function is hidden deep in the settings of this social media. That is why here is the direct link to the page where an Instagram account can be deleted: https://www.instagram.com/accounts/remove/request/permanent/

Choose a variant from the menu next to the field saying “Why are you deleting your account?” and enter your password again. You will be able to delete your account for good only after you choose the reason from the menu.

Now click on “Permanently delete my account”.

I’d like to note that the mobile Instagram app has much more functions than its web version, Instagram.com. Many of the things people can do from a tablet or smartphone can’t be done from a PC.

Original article

Twitter User Activity: Search and Tweet History, Geodata

Michael Mirosnichenko — Sun, 15 May 2022 17:30:48 +0000

Read about the user activity data saved by Twitter, where to view it or how to delete it. Twitter is one of the most popular social media in the world. It differs from the others by its special format. In fact, it is a service for microblogging, or posting short messages. Twitter is very popular, and recently this popularity has covered both its microblogging and news service functions.

What data about user activity does Twitter save? Where and how can we see or delete it?

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Search History

Twitter saves the last search queries of the user. It does so both in the web version of this social media, and in its application for mobile devices. You can see recent search queries of the user by clicking on the window “Search Twitter.”

To delete recent or saved search queries, click on the cross-shaped icon next to the query you want to delete. or select “Clear all.” As you can see, in mobile version of Twitter clicking on the cross-shaped icon deletes recent search queries only.

Account Access History

Twitter records and saves account access history to your account, and does it for the last 33 access sessions. To see it, go to your account menu and select: Settings and privacy / Your Twitter data / See your last 33 logins.

In account access history, you will see the application from which the user logged in, the date, country and IP address.

To see account access history with a mobile application, use it to go to Settings / Account / Your Twitter data / Account access history.

You can’t clear the account access history. However, if you see some unauthorized activity in your account, or you don’t like activity of a certain application, you can use the web interface of this social media to prevent this application from accessing your Twitter account. To do it, go to Applications and click on “Revoke access” next to the application troubling you.

Downloading the Tweet Archive

To download the entire archive of your tweets, go to its settings: Settings and privacy / Account and select “Request your archive” next to the function “Your Twitter archive.”

Soon, a message will be sent to your email, containing a download link. Download the ZIP archive and open it. You will find the user’s manual in the file README.TXT.

How to Delete Tweets

I believe anyone can find out how to delete a tweet from their account. Just click on the menu symbol and select “Delete Tweet.”

What if the user’s account has been hacked, and used to send lots of spam? Certainly, you can delete such tweets one by one, but it will take time. In this case, to delete some or all tweets from one account in one go, you can use online services: TwitWipe, Delete Multiple Tweets, TweetEraser, DLTTR — Deleter, and so on. To do it, just connect one of them to your account.

Deleting a Twitter account

To delete your Twitter account, go to the settings by clicking on the account photograph, select Settings and privacy / Account. Go down the menu and click on the link “Deactivate your account.”

Confirm your decision in the next window, and the account will be deleted within 30 days.

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How to View and Clear Browsing History in Google Chrome, FireFox and Opera on an Android

Michael Mirosnichenko — Sun, 15 May 2022 14:36:35 +0000

Read about where and how to view browsing history on Android and how to delete it. For most modern browsers, there are versions for mobile devices. In terms of functionality, there is little or no difference. As well as their desktop versions, mobile browsers by default save the user’s browsing history and information on all tabs that were opened and then closed. When using the synchronization feature to keep the mobile and desktop browsers in line with each other, such information is available in both browser versions at the same time.

How and where can we see brosing history on Android, and how can we clean it?

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Google Chrome

We’ll begin with the most popular browser for Android devices – Google Chrome. Most often, it is the preinstalled browser for Android smartphones and tablet PCs. To view browsing history in Google Chrome for mobile devices:

Go to the browser menu by tapping on the three dots in the upper right part of the screen, and select History.

As a result, you will see all the websites you visited with Google Chrome.

If the browser has synchronization enabled, this menu will show browsing history from the current device and the browsing history from other devices where this browser account is used.

To delete browsing history in Google Chrome on Android, tap on “Clear browsing data” in the History menu. In the opened History window, check all the data to be cleared and tap on “Clear data.”

You can also delete every item on your browsing list one by one. To do it, tap on the trashbin icon next to the item you want to remove.

Yandex.Browser

To view browsing history in Yandex.Browser:

Start the application and go to the browser menu by tapping on the three horizontal lines to the right of the search field.

As a result, the menu Bookmarks / History / Other devices will appear.

Tap on a clock-shaped icon which is the History menu in YandexBrowser.

If the synchronization is enabled in Yandex.Browser, the menu “Other devices” will show information from other devices as well.

To clear browsing history in Yandex.Browser on Android:

Go to the menu with the three vertical dots and select Settings.

Find the tab Privacy and tap on “Clear data.” Check the data to be removed and tap the button “Clear data.”

You can also delete every item on your browsing list one by one. To do it, tap and hold on the item in the History menu. In the menu that opens select Delete. Or “Clear history” if you want to delete everything.

Opera
Opera is another popular browser which has a built-in VPN function in addition to all other functions. To view browsing history in Opera:

Open the Opera menu by tapping on the red letter “O” in the right lower part of the screen.

Go to the History menu – an icon shaped like a clock going backwards.

To clear Opera browsing history, tap on the trashbin-shaped icon in the upper right part of the screen. You can also tap and hold a History item to delete only this specific one.

You can also go to Settings (a cogwheel-shaped icon in the browser main menu) / Clear browsing data.

Mozilla Firefox

To view browsing history in Mozilla Firefox:

Start the browser and go to the tab History.

Otherwise, open the browser menu by tapping on the three vertical dots in the upper right part of the screen, and select History.
To clear all your visits in Mozilla Firefox, tap “Clear browsing history” at the bottom of the History menu.

You can also tap and hold a History item to delete only this specific one.

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How to View User Actions on a Windows PC

Michael Mirosnichenko — Sat, 14 May 2022 19:04:12 +0000

Read more about the information on user activities saved by Windows and how to view it, and about checking a user’s online activity. As many people know, and we also wrote about it in our blog, online privacy is a very relative thing. While using the Internet, every user leaves their trace in search engines that remember search queries and browsing history, watch history on YouTube, and sometimes even user geodata. In this respect, using social media has similar effects. By default, Internet browsers have their functions for saving browsing history, logins and passwords, as well as autofill data turned on.

Browsing History

If you want to know if anyone used the computer and the Internet while you were away, the first and the easiest way to check it is to view browsing history.

Search Engines

To find a website, a webpage, a video or any other information on the Internet you need two things: an Internet browser and a search engine. Both tools can store browsing history, watch history (talking of YouTube), search history and search queries, and some tools can also save comments and posts in various online communities.

That is why the next way to view a user’s online activity is to check their activities in online accounts of various search engines.

Recycle Bin

Now let’s move from online activities to what users can do in Windows. We recommend checking the Recycle Bin as the first step. All the files deleted from this computer end up there.

To see if any files were deleted from the computer while you were away, open the Recycle Bin and select “Details” view option.

After that, sort the files by date of deleting, by clicking on the “Date deleted” heading. As a result, you can see files deleted recently.

File Modification Date

In Windows, you can sort files in every folder by the date when they were modified. Even if you don’t know where to look for files that could be modified without your knowing it, or while you were away, Windows has a good option for you.

Start the Run tool by right-clicking on the Start menu or pressing the shortcut Win + R.
In the field “Run,” enter the command recent and click OK.

A folder containing recently modified files will open, with the files being sorted chronologically, beginning with the latest changed files.

Downloads

By default, all browsers save files from the Internet into the system folder “Downloads.” Go to this folder, and sort the files by download date, so you can see the latest files downloaded to this computer. There might be some stuff which you did not download, but someone else did…

If the browser default folder for downloads has been changed, you should check it too.

Sorting Programs by Date Modified

All programs on the computer are started with executable files having the “.exe” extension. To learn the date and time when a program was started:

Open the folder “This computer” and enter “.exe” in the search field. As a result, the search window will show you all files with this extension type on this computer.

Right-click on the heading of any column, and select “Details”

The window to choose columns will open. Find the line “Date modified”, check the box next to it and click OK.

A new column called “Date modified” will appear in the search results window.

Now you can see the date when this or another program was started on this computer. If you don’t understand what program is hiding behind a particular .exe file, you can check it in Location column, or even start the program right from the search results window.

Windows Logs

In Windows logs, the operating system records and saves all events, registers errors, information messages and warnings from applications, as well as the information on user activity and work of the operating system.

To go to Windows Logs, open Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Computer Management.

In Computer Management, go to System Tools / Event Viewer / Windows Logs.

Logs are arranged by category. For example, application logs can be found in Application category, and system logs – in System category. If the computer has security events monitoring enabled, for example monitoring for logging in, then events are registered in the Security category.

Certainly, the information shown in Windows Logs are meant for system administrators, and ordinary users will have difficulty understanding it. Nevertheless, if you look at it more attentively, in the Application log you can see events generated by applications arranged in a sort of chronological order.

There is also some data on the date and time of logging in and off the operating system. In other words, it means the time when the computer was turned on or off. You can find this information in Security and System logs.

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